Machine translation system

Abstract

A machine translation system has a display section, an original storage section for storing an original sentence, a dictionary storing linguistical information necessary for translation processing, a translation processing section for translating the original sentence for each predetermined processing unit to obtain a translated sentence, a translation storage section for storing the translated sentence, an edit processing section for executing edit processing for the original and translated sentences, and an input section for inputting instruction information. In addition, the system has a display control section for realizing a first display mode for displaying the original and translated sentences respectively on original and translation display sections of a display screen of the display section, a second display mode for mainly displaying the original sentences on the display screen, and a third display mode for mainly displaying the translated sentences on the display screen. The display control section selectively switches the three display modes in response to information for instructing a display mode switching operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A machine translation system comprising: original storing means for storing a plurality of translation processing units of an original text;   dictionary means for storing linguistical information necessary for translation processing for the original text;   translation section means, operatively connected to said original storing means and to said dictionary means, for translating each translation processing unit of the original text stored in said original storing means with reference to the linguistical information;   translation storing means, operatively connected to said translation section means, for storing a translated text including each translated translation processing unit obtained by said translation section means together with information indicating a correspondence between each translation processing units of the original and translated texts;   edit processing means, operatively connected to said original and translation storing means and to said translation section means, for executing edit processing for the original and translated texts;   display means having a display screen, for displaying at least one of the original and translated texts;   display control means operatively connected to said edit processing means and to said display means, for controlling said display means;   input means, operatively connected to said edit processing means for inputting instruction information for said translation section means and said edit processing means;   said display control means including,   display mode control means for controlling said display means   in a first display mode for displaying the original and translated text respectively in original and translation display sections of the display screen, so that each of the translation processing units of the original text is displayed in horizontal lines as one paragraph in the original display section, and each of the translation processing units of the translated text is displayed in horizontal lines as one paragraph in the translation display section, and a display position of each translation processing unit of the original text and a corresponding translation processing unit of the translated text start at the same horizontal line in the display screen,   in a second display mode for displaying the original text in horizontal lines on the entire display screen with the translation processing units of the original text displayed continuously, and   in a third display mode for displaying the translated text in horizontal lines on the entire display screen with the translation processing units of the translated text displayed continuously, and   mode discrimination means for discriminating a selected one of the three display modes and controlling the display mode control means; and   said input means including means for inputting information for instructing one of the three display modes to be discriminated by said mode discrimination means.   
     
     
       2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said display control means comprises means for selecting the first display mode, and for selecting the second or third display mode only when the information for instructing the second or the third display mode is input by said input means. 
     
     
       3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said display control means includes means for displaying edit information on a predetermined region of the display screen other than the original and translation display sections, said edit information for assisting an operator in edit processing. 
     
     
       4. A system according to claim 1, wherein, when said linguistic information contains at least two possible translations for one of the translation processing units of the original text, said display control means causes said display means to display one of the possible translations and to indicate that there is at least another possible translation. 
     
     
       5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said display control means includes means for displaying blank lines in such numbers that, when any translation processing unit of the original text and a corresponding translation processing unit of the translated text are displayed in different numbers of lines, a first line of the translation processing unit displayed in less lines will be displayed horizontally aligned with a first line of the translation processing unit displayed in more lines.